Airbus Statement Regarding Japan Airlines A350 Accident at Tokyo Haneda Airport
In Tokyo's Haneda International Airport, an Airbus A350 was part of an accident. Airbus, the aerospace giant, expressed sorrow for the crash between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft, resulting in five fatalities.
Airbus pledged support, offering technical aid to the French BEA and Japan's JTSB, the investigative bodies.
Regretfully, Airbus confirmed the involvement of an A350 in an accident with flight JAL516, where all passengers and crew safely evacuated. The A350 collided with a coast guard DHC-8 during landing, where sadly, only one of the six onboard survived. The details of the accident are yet to be determined.
Airbus is providing technical assistance to the investigation in compliance with ICAO guidelines, including sending specialists to the scene. Updates will follow pending authorization.
The crash, which occurred last Tuesday, saw the safe evacuation of all 379 people on the JAL flight. The investigation, now underway, will examine communication with flight control.
The coast guard crew, aged 27 to 56, perished apart from the captain. The airport closed all runways, later reopening three, while the coast guard plane was on a humanitarian relief mission following a recent earthquake.
Japan's Prime Minister and the Coast Guard vice commandant have both expressed their deep condolences and are committed to a transparent inquiry. The JAL passengers evacuated via emergency slides amid flames and smoke, with one recalling a bump and sparks at landing. The A350 and the coast guard's Bombardier DHC8-300 are at the center of the ongoing investigation to understand this tragic event.